US President Bush's top foreign advisers summoned Iraq's American administrator for urgent White House discussions focused on their growing frustrations with the Iraqi Governing Council and a delay in transferring political power to Iraqis.
Bremer returned suddenly from Baghdad to deliberate various proposals, including one to hold some form of elections in Iraq, possibly in four to six months, to select a new body that would write a constitution and an executive to assume sovereign powers in Baghdad. That formula is comparable to the model in postwar Afghanistan, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The Bush administration has had growing concerns about the performance of the governing council, a senior administration official said, particularly the lack of progress toward a Dec. 15 deadline to set a timetable for writing a new constitution and holding democratic elections.
Bremer has expressed frustration to members of Congress that Iraqi council officials are not working hard enough.
For their part, many members of the U.S.-picked governing council have complained that they cannot move quickly and have no real power because Bremer rules the country.
The urgency of the visit Tuesday by Bremer was underscored when he abruptly canceled a planned meeting in Baghdad with the visiting Polish prime minister before heading to Washington. At the White House, he met with Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and other top officials.
No decisions were made Tuesday, several Bush administration officials said. President Bush is scheduled to take part in a second round of talks Wednesday, when U.S. officials hope to agree on a plan that Bremer would then implement in Iraq, officials said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
